Oxbridge Aspirants 2022...Part 2...applications submitted now the tense wait!

[TangoWhiskyAlphaTango]

Thought I would start a new thread as part one is nearly full and found thread one to be of great support.

So its deadline week this week for our applicants then the nervous wait begins to find out of they have made it to interview. DD applying for HSPS at Cambridge. We know it is a long shot but got to be in it to win it and she is very keen to try. Looking at the admissions info it does not look as though she will need to sit a test prior but all the best to those who will have to.

I also don't think anyone sounds ridiculous - as @MareofBeasttown says, this is a safe space where you can be honest with no one knowing who you are.
The only thing I would say is that I know quite a lot of people who got places at Cambridge this year (more now since DC started there) and a few at Oxford. I also know several who applied and did not get an offer. Bearing in mind that I'm not an academic and haven't interviewed these people, I think there is probably no more than the depth of a piece of paper between them in terms of ability, aptitude and work ethic. Absolutely we all think our children deserve a place and would thrive there - and we're probably all correct - and, if they don't get an offer, it doesn't make any of that less true; it just means they were out-performed for a very limited number of spaces.
It's so easy to say from this end of the process - I'm very aware of that! - but it's also so true.

Absolutely Ellmau, and what they have, strength wise in accent, vocab richness and fluency, they can often lack in their written/grammar work. So all nets out in the end.

It’s true goodbye, we often don’t know the motives of taking on native language further and that the other humanity/business add ons so expand course options. DD says there a couple that openly admit it’s the easiest route at UG for them (but they are also from backgrounds of parental wealth, bright but not the most driven); but I do point out that whilst they have one/two international parents, it shouldn’t be a barrier for them pursuing what can be a interesting and diverse course beyond language alone. It can open up many doors.

@goodbyestranger I meant DD is a mad woman. Sorry if I inadvertently caused offence.

Ah thank you TerrifiedandWorried. I certainly assumed that you meant it for me. I'm aware that feelings can run strong on the Oxbridge threads :) Cheers for clarifying.

@ErrolTheDragon: my son is hoping for engineering at Cambridge. We are normal people, DH never even went to university, but is obviously naturally bright and has achieved well professionally by working his way up. I ended up with a crappy degree from an ex-poly and now am happy just plodding along in school admin. The whole idea of applying to Oxbridge is terrifying to us, particularly as the subject matter is way over our heads. The whole application process seems like such an ordeal. But having read a lot about it, and visited, I do think that DS would be suited to it. It's all coming from him, no pressure at all from us.

I think he's likely to get an interview as his predicted grades are 4 A*, and he came out of the ENGAA last week beaming saying "It went extremely well", and I know the ENGAA is a hard test so I honestly had thought he'd come out sweating saying it was tough. So I assume he's done ok on it.

So,the next stage would be interview, and this could be fairly difficult for him as he is a quiet boy, fairly shy, and unlikely to "sell himself" or appear socially confident. I have no idea how he'd do with the problems because the subject matter is WAAYYY over my head. Do you know if the interviewers will be able to see past any shyness and help him out of his shell a little bit, particularly until the interview gets going and he relaxes a bit? I don't know if it helps or hinders having it all online.....

@CurlyhairedAssassin sounds like your son is extremely able and I’m sure his interviews will go fine! My son certainly does not sound as confident as yours re the Engaa exam… although he said it went ok and was satisfied with what he did, I know he did not complete P1b as ran out of time. Similar to you.. in situation: my ds is a “1st generation” applicant as they call it!! Neither me or my DH went to uni and have never stepped foot in one before.
They see many personalities at Oxbridge… and from what I have read, the interviewers are not there to judge personality but they looking for someone who has the right train of thought… someone who is teachable…
Sons school have said if he gets called to interview they will do a practice one with him… is this something yours sons school would do? Definitely worth asking. Good luck to him, sounds like he is well on his way!

My son is a 1st generation UK university applicant. DH and I went to uni but not in this country, and not at unis of this calibre! However, I have a lot of friends with DC at Oxbridge and they said interview as all about the subject, not the personality. I imagine Engineering will have lots of problem solving.

I wonder if any schools will have the common sense to do the mock interviews online... it is a completely different experience.

Thanks, @mich101 and @MareofBeasttown, those comments are reassuring. DS has told me the same re very subject focussed more than anything.

Yes, I feel that someone's enthusiasm may get lost over the screen in an online interview. Body language reading more difficult. Nowhere else for the candidate to look as they're pondering the answer to somwehre, it's not like they can switch their gaze to the corner of the interview room or something, the interviewer is sitting right there, presumably full face on the screen. Ah well, it is what it is.

I'm not sure whether DS's school will do mock interviews with them. The 2 teachers that were supporting him most, who gave him their own maths books plus problems to work on etc, have moved on, both outstanding teachers and both moved abroad. Sad, the drain of good teachers out of this country.

@CurlyhairedAssassin

Thanks, *@mich101 and @MareofBeasttown*, those comments are reassuring. DS has told me the same re very subject focussed more than anything.

Yes, I feel that someone's enthusiasm may get lost over the screen in an online interview. Body language reading more difficult. Nowhere else for the candidate to look as they're pondering the answer to somwehre, it's not like they can switch their gaze to the corner of the interview room or something, the interviewer is sitting right there, presumably full face on the screen. Ah well, it is what it is.

I'm not sure whether DS's school will do mock interviews with them. The 2 teachers that were supporting him most, who gave him their own maths books plus problems to work on etc, have moved on, both outstanding teachers and both moved abroad. Sad, the drain of good teachers out of this country.

The benefit of online interviews is that they are in their own comfort zone at home/school, and can't be thrown off track by other candidates. The downside is that you're not sharing the space with the interviewers, so you need to be even more careful to 'think out loud'.

This is a good video for history interview

Hi @CurlyhairedAssassin I can't believe the number of engineering applicants on the thread this year! In previous years this thread has been all about History and English etc (and the posters MUCH scarier!) Both my DSs applying for engineering- one Oxford one Cambridge . DS2 (Cam) could charm the birds off the trees in an interview. DS1 (Ox) is terribly shy and has struggled with mental health issues which disrupted his schooling (hence my having 2 non-twins applying at the same time). I am trusting that the Oxbridge interviewers do not treat the interviews as a personality contest 🤷‍♀️. Their (ex) school have never offered practice interviews as I think it's beyond their sphere of expertise. I'm agog at those schools that do it and can't help but be a BIT sceptical that they would be accurately representing the real deal ....

Hi, @kitnkaboodle, good luck to all our boys!

I wonder if the interviewers know which pupils have been “interview-coached” by their school?

I had a look at a breakdown of the ENGAA marks earlier and how they compare between those who had offers and those who didn’t get one. Was astonished to see that one year the person with the top mark did not get offered a place. Now, how would that happen? Did that person stuff up the interview big time? Eg tell the interviewer something like “well I wanted to apply for maths really but my parents have forced me into engineering as they said career prospects are better”. Or do you think maybe they asked about something like the possibility of transferring to a Uni abroad in year 3 or something? Or perhaps it’s been someone who ended up dropping grades at A-level? . But if they came top in the engaa how likely is that to happen?

God isn’t it awful how your mind twists itself with trying to second guess outcomes? DS is taking it all in his stride. He has his Imperial test tomorrow, online. Seems to think the practice tests for those are “easy” . I don’t know what to make that as I’m sure they not what we would call “easy”.

Was astonished to see that one year the person with the top mark did not get offered a place. Now, how would that happen? Did that person stuff up the interview big time?

Could have come across in person as unteachably arrogant?

Actually @CurlyhairedAssassin I think that's rather good. If the person who comes top in aptitude test doesn't automatically get a place it suggests that interviews really do matter. DS1 didn't do brilliantly in the TSA and got a place.

@Ellmau

Was astonished to see that one year the person with the top mark did not get offered a place. Now, how would that happen? Did that person stuff up the interview big time?

Could have come across in person as unteachably arrogant?

Possibly. Or perhaps they were under the usual age to apply if they were super clever and they thought that maybe they'd struggle socially & emotionally? Who knows.....

@CurlyhairedAssassin for what it's worth, DS2 did the Imperial engineering test last Friday and found it pretty much a doddle compared to the ENGAA. He thought it was strangely easy ('kind of AS level') given that most kids applying to Imperial will be A/A star students. Let us know how your DS gets on.

My ds also applied to Imperial for Engineering. He's been invited to an interview but isn't aware of any admission tests. Hope he didn't miss anything..!

That seems very early EightyTwenty, so don't let him hold his breath. DD had less than 2 week's notice for PPE, which is always shortly before HisPol.

^When will I find out if I have been invited to interview?

You will receive a letter or an email indicating whether or not you have been invited for interview, usually between the middle of November and early December. Different courses will issue invitations on different days depending on when the interviews are scheduled. Please be aware that you may only be given a week’s notice that you have been shortlisted although theprovisional timetableis available to view.^

@Gardenia22 that's interesting- and sounds promising for your DS. DS2 just said he got an invitation to do the online test about ten days after he submitted his UCAS on October 14th. It gave DS1 a funny turn, as he thought he ought to have registered for it, but he hasn't actually added Imperial to his UCAS yet. Apparently they run the tests again in Feb for later applicants.

I know that the Oxford medicine interviews start on 10 December and assumed that offers of interview will be about 2 weeks before. That's about 26 November, which matches what's happened in previous years.

I know some subjects come earlier but I'd be amazed if anything comes out next week.

Quick query-when DD did her UCAS form, she already has 2 Grade 8 distinctions in the bag, so obviously already has points on the board-but she wasn’t made aware to put them on at the time🤦‍♀️ Does anyone know if you can add them retrospectively and how to do that?

@MrsElijahMikaelson1, there is a form on the ICAS website which may be useful:

www.ucas.com/forms/request-amend-qualifications-listed-your-application